What are 28 stars? What does this mean?

Twenty-eight nights, also known as "twenty-eight homes" or "twenty-eight stars". In ancient China, in order to observe the astronomical phenomena and the movements of the five stars of the sun, the moon and the moon, 28 star officials were selected as observation signs, which were called "Twenty-eight Hostels". Divided into four groups on average, each group has seven nights, with the four directions of east, west, south and north, as well as animal images such as black dragon, white tiger, suzaku and Xuanwu (collectively called tortoise and snake), which are called "four elephants" in Taoism. The concept of four elephants and twenty-eight lodgings was formed very early, and it was recorded at the beginning of the Warring States Period. Later, in the Book of Rites Quli, it was said: "Before the trip, Zhu bird followed Xuanwu, left Qinglong and right White Tiger." Confucius said, "Zhu Bird, Xuanwu, Qinglong and Baihu are also named after these four places." In the Han Dynasty, the book Shang Shu Kao Ling Yao said: "Twenty-eight nights are the vitality of the sky and the essence of everything. Therefore, the Oriental Corner, Kang, Bian, Fu, Heart, Tail and Basket are seven nights, and their shape is like a dragon, which is called Zuo Qinglong. Nanjing, Ghost, Willow, Star, Zhang, Wing and Bird stayed for seven nights, which looked like quail birds and were called' former Suzaku'. In the west, there are Wei Xiao, Lou, Wei, Chang, Bi, Gou and Shen for seven nights, which are shaped like tigers and called' right white tigers'. North, fighting, cows, women, emptiness, danger, rooms and walls are seven nights. Shaped like a tortoise and snake, it is called' post-Xuanwu'. " (1) Taoism personifies this celestial phenomenon and gives it a name, color and work to pay tribute to it. "Seven Stars Cloud" Volume 24 "Twenty-four Nights" said: "A is the God of Guanyang, the Lord of Stars, the God of Jiuyang, surnamed Bin Ming, dressed in green and mysterious clothes, and the Lord of Stars. B follows the official Yin God, who is the Lord of Kangxing God. There are four Yin gods, surnamed Sima. The horse's head is naked, dressed in red light clothing, holding a sword, and prospering the Lord. " (2) The remaining 26 lodgings are of this kind. The book The Sun, Moon and Five Stars in Shen Dong, the Emperor's Father, describes the appearance and behavior of Twenty-eight Hostels. As the saying goes, "The essence of the star of the claw often travels in the temple after the birthday in spring, with a moustache and a temple, asking questions about Zen rituals, ... or swimming to the hotel to drink by himself, ... asking the knower, showing more people's skills of health preservation and sowing." "Kang, Bian, the essence of Samsung in the room, often walk with the sun and the moon, dressed in Tsing Yi, ... swimming in the crowd or in Lent, ... is asking for trouble and saving the world with others." (3) The other 24 stay in this category.

The four images (four spirits) synthesized by twenty-eight lodges are more respected by Taoism. The main feature is to use it as a patron saint. Ge Hong's "Miscellaneous Answers in Bao Puzi" regards it as the bodyguard of the old gentleman, saying that the old gentleman "has twelve dragons on the left, twenty-six white tigers on the right, twenty-four suzaku before, and seventy-two basalts after"; He also said that "this matter comes from the immortal scriptures." (4) The secret of prolonging life is that the seven-yuan pavilion of the Northern Emperor is even named: "On the left, there is a blue dragon named Meng Zhang, and on the right, there is a white tiger named prison soldier. In front of it, there is a rosefinch named Lingguang, and then there is a Xuanwu named Zhiming. The festival is built to hold the building, and the bells and drums are on the back and surround me." This is the patron saint of Taoist priests. Later, Taoist temples also carved statues of green dragons and white tigers in front of the mountain gates as the patron saints of the temple. In the Qing Dynasty, Yao Fujun's "The Legacy of Casting Ding" has a cloud:

"Song Fanzhi can say in Yueyang Local Customs:' There are two gods in Laozi Temple, the so-called Qinglong and Baihu.' Yao Ming Zong Yi's "Private Records of Changshu" describes the scene of the temple: "There are two great gods at the entrance of the Taoist temple, Alina Zhang, the god of Qinglong, on the left and the god of white tiger on the right". "

Sifang and Siling have only been regarded as backers since ancient times, and their status is not very high.

However, since the Song Dynasty, Xuanwu God has been revered separately, becoming a famous Zhenwu emperor and Tian Xuan God, and being worshipped as a Taoist god. Especially in the Ming Dynasty. This is related to the fact that Ming Taizu, especially the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty, used it to deify imperial power.